Taking the Stage
by tediousAffections
Summary: There is not a better way to describe the Seraphi region than diverse. Full of different Pokemon and people, you never know what you might find. Things have always been peaceful, but that is about to change, as two siblings just starting out will find out
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The wind blew lightly over the small town of Karetrel. Cries of Pidove and Starly could be heard overhead. People were bustling about, conversing with one another and getting ready to start the day. Yes, it was a rather ordinary day in Karetrel Town. But for one ordinary girl, it was the biggest day of her life.

Arianna was a bit older than most trainers are when they begin their journeys, but there had never been a Professor this close to her hometown before that was giving out Pokémon to start a journey with. At sixteen, she was beginning to give up hope on ever getting to go on a journey of her own. Then the news that a Professor by the name of Willow would be moving to the small town to conduct some research. She would also be giving away starter Pokémon to trainers in town. This weekend she would be giving away the starters that were native to the Unova region, meaning the trainers would have a choice between Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. Arianna wanted an Oshawott, but Snivy would also be nice. So she got up early that morning to make sure she got the Pokémon she wanted. She was just about to walk out the door when her brother, Michael, came running down the stairs.

"Today's the day Arianna! Today's the day I get my first Pokémon!" he yelled cheerfully as he ran through the house. He was only thirteen, but sometimes he sure didn't act like it.

"Yes, now be quiet! You don't want to wake up the whole house!" Arianna hissed, attempting to grab her brother's arm. He jumped out of the way and Arianna decided it was best to just let him run around while she went to Professor Willow's lab. She slipped out the door without a word and walked calmly to the newly built lab in town. The doors slid open and Arianna saw a girl, about her age with tan skin, wavy brown hair and equally brown eyes, standing with a Pokeball in her hand. Arianna walked inside and turned to Professor Willow.

"Excuse me, but is it too late to get my first Pokémon?" she asked.

"Oh, of course not! Let me show you what I still have. Selena here just took one, but I still have two others. Let me show you this one first," Professor Willow said, picking up a Pokeball from her cart. She tossed it in the air and a small orange Pokémon came out. "This is Tepig, a Fire type." Professor Willow said.

"Can I see the other?" Arianna asked and the Professor nodded. Was Oshawott already taken?

"Of course. I have a feeling you'll like this one," she said, taking the other Pokeball in her hand. She tossed it in the air and a small blue and white Pokémon came out. It held a shell in its hand and gave a small bow. Arianna felt relief rush over her. "This is-" the Professor began.

"Oshawott. That's the one. I want Oshawott," Arianna said. Professor Willow smiled and handed Arianna the Pokeball that Oshawott had been in and then took out a small pink device.

"This is a Pokedex. It contains data on all the different Pokémon. Just point it at the Pokémon you wish to know more about and it will give a short description. It can also see which moves the Pokémon knows and which moves it can learn," she said, handing Arianna the Pokedex.

"Thank you." Arianna said, turning to the girl who had the third Pokémon. Selena, she thought her name was. If Arianna had Oshawott and Tepig still hadn't been chosen, then she must have chosen Snivy.

"So, you chose the little actress, huh?" Selena asked, not looking at Arianna.

"What?" Arianna asked.

"The Oshawott. She's nothing but a drama queen. She won't do very well in battle. My Snivy here, on the other hand, knows how to stay focused." Selena said.

"How do you know that?" Arianna asked. She did not like this girl very much.

"You have to take a Pokémon's personality into account when you choose it. Did you see what she did when she came out of the Pokeball? It just wants to put on a show. It won't be serious about anything," Selena said.

"Then I'll just have to work around that when I train her. I'm not one to take the easy way out," Arianna said. Selena regarded her but said nothing. Neither girl said anything and the silence was only broken by Michael running in.

"Arianna, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" he asked as he skidded to a stop in front of the cart where Tepig's Pokeball sat, with Tepig safely inside.

"Are you here to get your first Pokémon too?" Professor Willow asked.

"You bet I am!" Michael said, nodding enthusiastically. Professor Willow smiled and took the Pokeball off the cart.

"Well you're in luck. I have one left. Here, why don't you let it out?" she asked. Michael took the Pokeball and tossed it in the air.

"Come on out... whoever you are!" he said, oblivious to the fact that both Snivy and Oshawott were standing by their trainers' feet. Tepig came out and promptly sneezed, sending a small cloud of embers and smoke at Michael.

"This is Tepig, a Fire type. Do you like him?" Professor Willow asked.

"You bet! Who did you get sis?" Michael asked as Tepig ran over to him

"I got Oshawott. She's a Water type," Arianna said.

"I know that. So who did you get?" Michael asked Selena, who had been watching the entire scene with interest.

"Who does it look like?" She asked, pointing to the Snivy at her feet.

"Oh, so that's a Snivy," Michael said, crouching down to look at the Grass type. Selena quickly returned the Pokémon before he could get a good look.

"Look, this has been fun and all, but I really have to go. It was... nice... meeting you all," she said, turning to leave. Michael looked at Arianna again.

"So, how about we have a battle?" he asked once Professor Willow had given him his Pokedex.

"Sure," Arianna said.

"Not in the lab you don't. You'll have to go outside for a battle," Professor Willow said. Arianna and Michael thanked the Professor one more time and left the lab to find a place for their first battle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Before they began, Arianna pointed her Pokedex at Oshawott.

_Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon. The scalchop on its stomach is made from the same elements as claws. It detaches the scalchop for use as a blade._

Arianna could hear Michael's Pokedex giving him a description of Tepig.

_Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon. It blows fire through its nose. When it catches a cold, the fire becomes pitch-black smoke instead._

"Alright, let's see what moves you know," Arianna said, finding the list of Oshawott moves. It knew Tackle, Tail Whip and Water Gun.

"You almost ready over there?" Michael asked, putting his Pokedex away. Arianna did the same.

"You bet! You can have the first move," Arianna said. In a battle, the person whose Pokémon had a type disadvantage would usually go first.

"Alright, but I'm not going easy on you!" Michael said, grinning. "Tepig, use Ember!" he called to his new Pokémon.

"Oshawott, dodge and use Water Gun!" Arianna countered. Oshawott jumped up in the air and did a flip, dodging the incoming Ember. When it landed, it shot a stream of water at Tepig.

"Tepig, dodge it and use Tackle!" Michael called. Tepig rolled out of the way and charged at Oshawott.

"Wait for it to get in close and use Water Gun again!" Arianna called. Oshawott waited until Tepig was within a few feet of her and shot another stream of water at him. Tepig was knocked back to its side of the field. It was beginning to look tired.

"Tepig, use Ember, one more time!" Michael said. Tepig sent another Ember attack at Oshawott.

"Oshawott, use Water Gun, one last time!" Arianna said. Oshawott's Water Gun extinguished the Ember and created a huge cloud of smoke.

"Tepig, Tackle!" Michael said. Out of the smoke, Tepig leapt out and crashed into Oshawott, who rolled backwards. When she got up, she looked at Tepig and shot another Water Gun at him. Tepig took the hit and skidded back, eventually collapsing. Oshawott looked happy, but Arianna was anything but.

"Oshawott, you need to wait for my command. You can't just attack however you want to," she scolded. Oshawott turned to look at its trainer and blinked its tear-filled eyes.

"Come on sis, you're making her cry," Michael said, walking over with Tepig in his arms.

"She needs to learn that she can't just attack however she wants. It's going to get her seriously hurt." Arianna said, returning Oshawott to her Pokeball. The two siblings then headed back to their house to say goodbye to their mother before they left on their journey.

"Oh, I knew this day would come eventually. Well, be careful and maybe I'll see you on TV as the Seraphi champion someday," their mother said once Tepig was healed and the two siblings were about to head out. Michael walked out the door but their mother stopped Arianna.

"Mom, I need to get going. Gym Badges don't win themselves," she said.

"I know dear, but I need you to make sure Michael stays out of trouble. You know how he can be. And I want you to take this," her mother said, handing Arianna a small pouch. When Arianna opened it, she found 8000 Pokedollars inside.

"I don't need this Mom, I've been saving up for a while and I think I have enough for me and Michael," Arianna said. Her mother smiled.

"Take it. I've been saving up for this day. Just to be sure you had enough," she said. Arianna thanked her and walked out the door where Michael was waiting.

"Hey, are you ready to go yet?" he asked impatiently.

"Yeah, now we need to get going if we want to get to Allandais Town before it gets too hot to travel. It's not exactly close by," Arianna said. Michael smiled.

"Then let's go!" he said, turning to start running.

"Hey, if you start running now, you're never going to make it all the way to Allandais Town. You need to pace yourself. Like me," Arianna said. Michael wasn't too happy about this, but he did not have much of a choice.

Route 1, named for its being the only route out of the southernmost town of Seraphi, was fairly long, but also fairly flat and easy to walk along. Arianna had gone to Allandais Town before to run errands for her mother, but Michael had never left the small town of Karetrel. He was so busy taking everything in that he failed to notice the figure that had stopped on the path and was reading his map. Needless to say, he wasn't too happy when Michael ran into him.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" he said as he got back up, brushing himself off.

"I am so sorry. Michael, apologize!" Arianna said as she grabbed her brother's arm and yanked him up.

"Sorry," Michael said.

"Whatever. I'm kind of in a hurry, so nice meeting you and all but I have to go," the guy said before running off.

"Well, he seemed nice," Michael said, more than a hint of sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Come on, let's just keep going," Arianna said, walking ahead. They had walked only about a mile before Michael asked the question.

"Are we there yet?" he asked.

"Michael, does it look like we are in a town at the moment?" Arianna asked.

"No..." Michael replied.

"Then do you think we're there yet?" Arianna asked.

"No..." Michael said again.

"Then do not ask if we are there yet or I will send you back home and you can start your journey when you are capable of walking long distances." Arianna said plainly. Michael mumbled something but Arianna did not hear it, nor did she wish to. They had been on the road for maybe ten minutes and her brother was already driving her crazy. Arianna checked her Poketch, which had been a gift from her father, one of the Elite 4, and saw that it was only 9:30. They had until noon to get to Allandais Town or they would have to stop because of the heat.

About an hour later the two siblings were just outside of Allandais Town. There was a rustling in the bushes and a Starly jumped out. Michael jumped back, but Arianna was ready.

"What's this Pokémon?" she asked herself, taking out her Pokedex.

_Starly, the Starling Pokémon. They flock around mountains and fields, chasing after bug Pokémon. Their singing is noisy and annoying._

"Well, sounds okay to me. Go, Oshawott!" Arianna said, tossing Oshawott's Pokeball in the air. Oshawott came out and bowed, holding it's scalchop in one hand.

"No fair! You got your starter first, so I should get to catch the first Pokémon," Michael complained. Arianna shook her head.

"I got to it first. Be faster next time," she said. The Starly, frightened, had begun to attack. It charged at Oshawott with amazing speed. Oshawott jumped in the air, did a flip, and landed behind Starly.

"Now Oshawott, Water Gun!" Arianna said. Oshawott obeyed, sending a stream of blue water at Starly. The attack hit the unsuspecting bird Pokémon, sending it tumbling forward. It turned around and flew up in the air, out of reach. It did not flee though. Instead, it flew down at Oshawott, using Tackle. Oshawott rolled backwards and looked up at Starly. She used Water Gun once more, sending Starly crashing to the ground.

"Oshawott, what did I tell you? You have to wait for my command to attack," Arianna said. During this time, Starly had gotten back up and was now flying towards Oshawott again. "Now, use Tackle!" Arianna said. The two Pokémon charged at each other and their attacks were canceled out, sending each Pokémon tumbling backwards. Starly, who had taken more damage, did not get up. Arianna took the opportunity to tap it on the head with an empty Pokeball. It shook three times then went still. Arianna picked up the Pokeball and smiled. She would have to get Starly to the Pokémon Center in Allandais Town. When Michael finally stopped searching for another Pokémon that he could catch, the two siblings made their way into Allandais town.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Allandais Town was not the biggest town in Seraphi, but it was bigger that Karetrel. It had many apartment complexes and some stores but, much to Michael's dismay, no Gym.

"What do you mean there's no Gym here? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked when Arianna told him the news.

"Because I didn't want to," Arianna said. Michael glared at his sister, but said nothing.

"So what _can _we do here?" He finally asked.

"Well I have to heal my Pokémon. So we need to stop by the Pokémon Center first." Arianna said. Michael did not protest, and the two of them made their way to the Pokémon Center.

"Here are your Pokémon back and at full health!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully, returning Arianna's Pokeballs to her.

"Thank you," Arianna said. She and Michael then left the Pokémon Center and looked for a place in town to hang out while they waited for it to cool down. Once they got past Senica City, they would be able to travel more freely, but until then they would have to travel during the morning and at night. Arianna suggested they go shopping in one of the many shops in town.

"No way. I am _not _going shopping. That's a girl thing. I need to train my Tepig," Michael insisted.

"Well, I am going to go buy some supplies so you stay here and train while I'm gone. Do not leave this spot for any reason whatsoever until I get back," Arianna said. Michael looked disappointed.

"Aww, come on! I'll be fine," he said.

"Mom left me in charge so you are going to stay here. I can't have you getting lost," Arianna said. Before Michael could respond, Arianna was walking away towards one of the stores. She was met by a blast of cold air as she walked through the doors. It felt good on the hot day that it was. Inside were shelves and shelves of different products that would help a trainer on their journey. Arianna grabbed a basket and started looking at the different shelves. There were Potions, Antidotes and many other remedies, all necessary for traveling. Arianna picked up a few of each and placed them in her basket. She then walked to the back of the store to see what else was available and saw two familiar faces.

"I just don't know which one to pick. I mean, the petals would accent Snivy's type, but they're a little girly. The fire would look nice, but it doesn't really accent Snivy very well. I just don't know," said Selena.

"Can you just pick one? I would like to get out of this tourist trap of a town and get to my Gym battle." said a boy, maybe a little taller than Selena with hair that was either black or dark blue that just reached his shoulders. Arianna recognized him as the guy that Michael had run into on the way into town.

"I have to make a good first impression in my first Contest," Selena said. Arianna was puzzled. She had never heard of Contests before. She only knew about the Seraphi League. Before Arianna could leave as to not be caught eavesdropping, the boy turned around and saw her.

"Hey, I know you. Your brother ran into me on the way here. Very rude of him if you ask me. Come to give me a proper apology?" he asked, smirking.

"Now Drew, there's no need to be rude to the little wannabe. Let her shop around. At least she'll be ready when she fails," Selena said, laughing. Drew, whom Arianna assumed was the boy that was with her, started laughing as well. She clenched her fists.

"With that attitude, I don't think I'll be the failure here," she said.

"Oh? You think so? Of course, why wouldn't a little Oshawott that won't take anything seriously be able to defeat anyone?" Selena asked mockingly, earning more laughter from Drew.

"And picking a Snivy that seems like the easiest to train really shows how good of a trainer you'll be," Arianna commented. Selena looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"Oh, I see. You don't know. I'm not a trainer, dear. I'm a coordinator. Of course, you must at least know what that means, right?" Selena asked. When Arianna did not respond, she burst out laughing. "Oh, you don't? Well, I guess you wouldn't if you're planning on being a trainer. Come on Drew, we have better things to do than explain the basics to this wannabe," Selena said. Drew nodded and the two of them headed for the counter to pay for their items. Arianna stood there, unable to move. She could not stop thinking about what Selena had said. She was not a wannabe. She took her training very seriously. Selena was the wannabe, trying to take the easy way out. But why did it bother Arianna so much?

After paying the clerk for her items, Arianna walked out of the store to see her brother in the middle of a battle.

"Tepig, Ember!" Michael called.

"Dodge and use Thunder Shock, Magnemite!" a familiar voice countered. Arianna looked up to see who was battling her brother and saw Drew. She walked over and took out her Pokedex to learn more about Magnemite.

_Magnemite, the Magnet Pokémon. The units at the sides of its body generate antigravity energy to keep it aloft in the air._

Magnemite easily dodged the incoming Ember and sent a bolt of electricity at Tepig.

"Dodge it Tepig!" Michael said in desperation. Tepig could not evade the attack however and was sent skidding back to his trainer's feet. He did not get up when he stopped.

"Pathetic. Find me when you're going to present a real challenge." Drew said, recalling his Magnemite. Before Michael could retaliate, he walked away, probably to find Selena who was nowhere to be seen.

"Tepig..." Michael said sadly as he bent down and scooped up the Fire type in his arms.

"Michael, what were you doing? I thought you were training," Arianna said. Michael looked down at his unconscious Tepig before replying.

"Well, we were, but then that guy came to the park and I thought, what better way to train then to have a battle with someone, and since Tepig is a Fire type I thought that we would actually stand a chance, but that Magnemite was just too strong for us. Could you show me where the Pokémon Center is again? I can't remember." Michael said. Arianna shook her head and steered her brother towards the Pokémon Center. Michael never did return his Pokémon back to his Pokeball. He just carried him into the Pokémon Center and brought him to Nurse Joy, who took him into a back room. Michael slumped down in a chair and Arianna sat next to him.

"You didn't do too badly for just starting out," Arianna said in an attempt to cheer her brother up.

"Yes I did. I should never have challenged that guy. He destroyed us. I never had a chance," Michael said, staring at his feet. Arianna put an arm around his shoulders.

"That's why you have to train. So your Pokémon can get stronger and you can beat the tough trainers. How about after you get Tepig back, we both go out and train?" she asked. Michael shrugged and looked up just in time to see his Tepig running towards him. He instantly cheered up at the sight of the little Fire type.

"Sounds good to me! We'll definitely be ready for that first Gym battle!" Michael exclaimed, returning Tepig to his Pokeball. The two siblings then made their way out of the Pokémon Center and to the hotel in town. It was not a big place, but just the kind of place where people could stay until the next day when they could resume their travels. Once they got a room for the night, they headed out to the park where several trainers were already training their own Pokémon. Michael let out Tepig and Arianna let out Oshawott and Starly. All three of the Pokémon let out joyful cries as they materialized.

"Okay, now do you think you can handle training Tepig by yourself? I want to start on Oshawott," Arianna said. Michael nodded happily.

"We'll be fine. Don't worry so much sis," he said.

"Alright. Don't burn down the forest," Arianna said, turning to her two Pokémon. Oshawott bowed playfully and Starly flapped his wings. Arianna took out her Pokedex and pointed it at Starly. A move list came up that listed the three moves that Starly knew: Tackle, Growl and Quick Attack.

"Okay, I guess a good place to start would be strengthening the moves you already know. So Starly, I want you to fly up and use Quick Attack. Right now we're going to focus on your speed. Okay?" Arianna asked the Flying type. Starly nodded and flew up in the air. He took on a white glow and began flying in a zigzag pattern towards the ground at a fairly high speed. When he neared the ground, he swooped up into the air and stayed there, flapping his wings to stay in place. Arianna praised the bird Pokémon and they continued training.

After a few more Quick Attacks, Starly was about to attempt another when Instead of becoming covered in the white glow, only his wings did. Starly swooped down and slashed at the ground, slicing the grass where his wings made contact.

"That must be Wing Attack," Arianna said, smiling as Starly landed and spread his wings, a proud look on its feathered face.

"Okay, now for Oshawott. Are you ready?" Arianna asked her small Water type, but no reply came. Arianna looked around but could not find the mischievous Oshawott.

"Hey sis, how's your training going? Tepig and I are doing great! We're all ready for our first Gym battle," Michael said, walking up to his worried sister, who seemed not to have heard what he had said.

"Michael, I can't find Oshawott."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"What?" Michael asked as Arianna started to explain.

"I was training Starly and when we were done, I looked and Oshawott wasn't there. I don't know where she could have gone," she said, looking around. The mischievous little Water type was nowhere to be found.

"Relax sis, we'll find her. She couldn't have gotten far," Michael said.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't yelled at her, she wouldn't have run away. Oh, what am I going to do?" Arianna asked, tears threatening to fall.

"It's not your fault. You just wanted to protect her. It's completely understandable," Michael said in an effort to cheer up his older sister. He tried to put an arm around her shoulders like she had done to him, but it was hard when she was at least a foot taller than him.

"I know, but I still feel bad about it. I haven't had her for an entire day and I already lost her. I can't believe this happened," Arianna said, oblivious to her brother's struggles.

"Sis, it'll be fine. Now we need to go find her. Where should we start?" Michael asked. Arianna thought for a moment.

"Well, I was arguing with Selena in one of the stores. Maybe she went back to find her so that she could get even. Knowing Oshawott, that's probably what she did," Arianna said.

"Then we'll start there. Come on," Michael said, starting down the road. Arianna followed him until she realized he probably had no idea where he was going.

"Michael, do you even know what store I was in?" she asked. Her brother stopped in his tracks like he had just realized this.

"Oh, no I don't. I should've thought of that…" he said sheepishly. Arianna took the lead, stopping every now and then to check the occasional flash of blue or white. Finally she found the right store, but Oshawott was not inside. She was standing outside the store looking at a poster that showed several people in extravagant outfits and Pokémon performing dazzling moves.

"Oshawott! What were you thinking! You could have gotten hurt, you could have been taken by some freaky guy, you cannot run off like that!" Arianna scolded, scooping up the little Water type, who struggled against her strong grip.

"Hey, you found her!" Michael said, walking up from behind Arianna.

"Yeah, I did. And she is going to stay in her Pokeball now," Arianna said, returning the protesting Oshawott. When she had, her attention drifted back to the poster that Oshawott had been looking at.

"What's that?" Michael asked. Arianna did not respond for she was too busy reading the poster.

'Pokémon Contest, Thursday in Senica City!' it read. Arianna still didn't know what a Contest was, but she was hooked. Michael had to wave his hand in front of Arianna's face before she would finally respond.

"Oh, what?" she asked.

"I asked you what that poster was for," Michael stated.

"Oh, I don't really know. It says it's for a Contest, but I don't know what that is," Arianna admitted.

"I might have heard of it once, but I couldn't tell you," Michael said, a hint of an apology in his voice.

"Oh, well, maybe we can check it out when we get to Senica City. It's not until Thursday, so we still have time to get there. It's only Tuesday," Arianna said. Michael did not seem too enthusiastic.

"We are _not _going to a Contest before my Gym battle. Not for all the money in the world," Michael said plainly.

"Hey, I'm your older sister and you will listen to what I say. If we get there and have enough time, we will go to your Gym battle, then we'll check out my Contest, then I can have my Gym battle. But if we don't have time, then we go to the Contest, then your Gym battle. Deal?" Arianna asked. Michael grumbled about something but didn't say no. The two siblings looked around and realized that the town had emptied a lot. It was getting late and they would have to get up early to get to Michael's Gym battle before the Contest. They returned to the hotel and got ready for bed. Arianna fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. She did not wake up until the next morning when her brother was standing over her, shaking her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up.

**Short, I know, but I needed to get this part in. Forgive me. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Michael, what are you doing? What time is it?" Arianna asked, blindly reaching for her Poketch where it sat on her bedside table.

"It's only 8:00. I made sure you didn't sleep in too late. I could hardly sleep at all though," Michael said. Arianna finally found her Poketch and looked at it. Her brother was right; it was 8:00 in the morning.

"Okay, well are you ready yet?" she asked her brother. When she looked, she found her answer. Her brother was still in his pajamas with his hair in a Ratticate's nest.

"Nope," he replied, grinning broadly. Arianna sat bolt upright.

"Well get going!" she said, jumping out of bed and running into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and quickly got ready, emerging an hour later, a new record for her. She couldn't help it, she was a girl. Michael was already dressed and ready to go.

"See, I can afford to wait until the last minute because I don't take an hour to get ready like some people," he said accusingly. Arianna rolled her eyes and dropped her things in her bag. After making sure everything was there, she hefted it over her shoulder and the two siblings left the room. They paid the clerk for the night spent there and then set off for Senica City.

Route 2 was somewhat rocky and hard to navigate. Were it not for the map that Arianna carried, they surely would have gotten lost the minute they started along it. Michael kept looking around to see if he could find a wild Pokémon to battle and catch. Finally, there was a rustling in the bushes and Michael stopped and watched it, Pokedex in hand. The rustling finally stopped and a small Pokémon with purple skin jumped out. It took a fighting stance and watched as Michael got a description from his Pokedex.

_Tyrogue, the Scuffle Pokémon. Even though it is small, it can't be ignored because it will slug any handy target without warning._

"Cool! I'm gonna catch it!" Michael said, putting away his Pokedex and withdrawing a Pokeball.

"Good luck with that…" Arianna said as Michael sent out his Pokémon.

"Go, Tepig!" he said as the Fire Pig Pokémon materialized. "Now, Ember!" he called. Tepig sent a shower of flaming embers at Tyrogue, which were easily dodged, but Tepig wasn't done. He kept shooting them at Tyrogue until he finally landed a hit. Tyrogue skidded backwards but did not appear to take any real damage. Michael was not discouraged by this and instead called another move: Defense Curl. Tepig curled up into a ball and glowed a soft green. Tyrogue charged at it and Arianna recognized the move as Tackle. It did not do much damage because of Tepig's stat boost. Tyrogue simply bounced back and returned to its fighting stance. Next it charged forward but did not hit Tepig. Instead it stopped right in front of him and as Tepig recovered, it struck. Tepig did not take too much damage, this Tyrogue was not very strong, and used Ember on Michael's command. This final attack sent Tyrogue flailing backwards. It finally fell down and did not get up. Michael grinned and tossed his Pokeball. Tyrogue did not have any energy left to fight and was soon captured. Michael cheered and scooped up the Pokeball, showing it off proudly to his sister.

"Great job Michael. You have officially caught one Pokémon," Arianna stated. Michael was too happy to note the sarcasm in her voice. The two siblings continued along the route until they finally came to Senica City.

"We're finally here!" Michael said, breaking into a sprint. Arianna tried to stop him but he was too fast. He failed to realize that the streets of Senica City were all waterways. He would have fallen in if a girl standing by the edge had not grabbed his collar and yanked him back.

"Oh my gosh, thank you. Michael, what have I told you about running off like that? You're going to get yourself killed!" Arianna scolded.

"To not to…" Michael said.

"Exactly, now thank this person for saving your life. Honestly, you'd think you'd been raised by a pack of wild Poochyena," Arianna complained. The girl laughed and smiled. Now that Arianna could get a better look at her, she saw that she was only dressed in a swimsuit and shorts. Her long blonde hair was loose and her blue eyes looked watery.

"It was no problem. Lots of people don't realize that the waterways are here. I'm Melody, by the way. Nice to meet you both," she said. Michael looked at her in awe.

"You're the Gym leader! I'm here to challenge you!" Michael said. Melody nodded.

"I see you've heard of me. Well, follow me. We'll take the ferry to my Gym. I can probably squeeze you in. You _have _registered for the Pokémon League, right?" she asked.

"Yep, I have my trainer card right here!" Michael said, pulling a small card out of his pocket. Arianna grinned at her brother's enthusiasm, as did Melody. They were soon being led to a boat by Melody that took them to a building that resembled an aquarium. Inside, several tanks held different kinds of Water types. Melody smiled as Michael admired the different Pokémon. He was particularly interested in a blue one that had white spots and orange fins.

"I see you like Huntail. These are all Pokémon I've raised. Huntail here has a sister that I have a feeling your sister would like. You'll get to see her in battle. Come on, we can go now," Melody said. Arianna looked at her questioningly, but Melody said nothing more. They proceeded to the battlefield for Michael's first Gym battle.

**Author Notes: I tried writing a Gym battle once and it was really long and took forever to write so instead of leaving you all hanging, I thought I would end this chapter here. I hope you enjoyed it. **

**On another note, I would like to say that reviews are encouraged and appreciated. I would like to know how I can improve my work. So review away! **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"So, this will be a standard three on three battle. As Gym Leader, I will send my Pokémon out first. Whoever manages to defeat all of the other side's Pokémon will be the winner," Melody explained in a way that told Arianna she had explained this many times before.

"Wait, three? I only have two Pokémon. Can't we have a two on two?" Michael asked. Melody shook her head.

"Pokémon League regulations state that all Gym battles must be three on three unless otherwise stated. We could battle two on two but it would not be official. So either borrow one of your sister's Pokémon or go catch another and you can have an official battle with me," she explained. Arianna took out a Pokeball.

"Here Michael, use Starly. He doesn't have a real type advantage, but neither does Oshawott and Starly would be better suited for this battle," she said, handing her brother the Pokeball containing the Flying type.

"Thanks sis!" Michael said, turning back to Melody. "I have three Pokémon now, so let's battle!" he said, putting Starly's Pokeball away and taking out Tepig's. Melody took out a Pokeball and tossed it.

"Now, before we start, I like to add a little challenge. Harris, if you would please," Melody said to one of the workers in the Gym. He nodded and flipped a large switch. The floor opened and revealed a large pool.

"Whoa, I wasn't expecting that one…" Michael said, looking at the water.

"Now we get started. Let's go, Gorebyss!" Melody said as the pink Pokémon materialized. Arianna took out her Pokedex and pointed it at her.

_Gorebyss, the South Sea Pokémon and one of the evolved forms of Clamperl.. Its pink body becomes more vivid with the rise of water temperatures in the springtime._

"So this must be Huntail's brother…" Arianna mused. Michael had apparently scanned it with his Pokedex too and now tossed his Pokeball.

"Go, Tepig!" he said, sending out the Fire Pig Pokémon.

"Michael, what are you doing?" Arianna asked, but her brother appeared to have not heard her. Either that or he just didn't want to answer.

"Okay, it is only common courtesy in battle to let the person with the type disadvantage go first, so it's your move," Melody said.

"I know, now Tepig, Ember!" Michael called. Tepig sent waves of fire at Gorebyss, who dove into the water, safe from the incoming attack. Michael gritted his teeth as he waited for Gorebyss to surface. If Tepig fell off the platform into the water, they were done for.

"Now Gorebyss, Whirlpool!" Melody called. Gorebyss leapt out of the water, created a giant twister of water and shot it at Tepig before diving back under the water. The attack missed Tepig, but only by inches. Michael scanned the water for Gorebyss but could not see her. Then he had an idea.

"Tepig keep using Ember on the water to heat it up!" Michael commanded. Tepig did so and soon a vibrant pink spot could be seen under the water,

"Clever, but not clever enough. Now Gorebyss, Clamp and drag Tepig under!" Melody said.

"Defense Curl Tepig!" Michael called in desperation. Tepig curled up into a ball as Gorebyss jumped out of the water, mouth open, ready to attack. It attempted to bite down on the little Fire Type, but it could not get a good grip with it using Defense Curl. Finally, Tepig couldn't take it anymore and uncurled a little, revealing its head. Gorebyss immediately clamped down on its snout.

"Now, drag it under the water!" Melody commanded it.

"Ember!" Michael said. Tepig sneezed, as that was all it _could _do at the moment, and let out an Ember unlike any other. Gorebyss flew backwards, flailing as it did, into the water where it started steaming. Melody looked horrified, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Well, if you can't bring the Tepig to the water, you just have to bring the water to Tepig. Gorebyss Confusion!" she said. A red glow could be seen under the water and some of it swirled up and flew towards Tepig. The small Fire type dodged it easily, but instead of continuing past, the water whipped around and surrounded it. Tepig panicked as the water engulfed him, trapping him in a glowing bubble. He flailed around but could not break free. Finally, Gorebyss decided that Tepig had had enough and let the water fall back into the pool. Tepig collapsed, breathing heavily and coughing up water. Michael returned his fallen partner with a discouraged look on his face. He then looked back up at the field and pulled out a second Pokeball. Tossing it, he revealed Arianna's Starly. The bird Pokémon flapped his wings as he was released and flew in a circle around the field.

"Okay Starly, you ready?" Michael asked.

"Star-star!" Starly said, nodding his head.

"Well, since neither of us have a type advantage, you go first as challenger. Call your move," Melody said. Michael grinned and nodded.

"Okay then, let's start with Wing Attack!" he said. Starly flew up in the air and flew in place for a moment. His wings started glowing and he flew down at Gorebyss.

"Dive under the water!" Melody called, but Starly would not be outdone. He put on some extra speed and sliced his wings across Gorebyss before she dove underwater. She let out a cry and flopped into the water. Starly returned to the air and flew around the field.

"Starly, cut that out! Focus!" Michael said. Starly stopped and flew just a few feet above the water.

"Okay, now Gorebyss, Whirlpool!" Melody called. The water in the pool started swirling and soon a giant whirlpool had formed. Starly was pulled in by the fierce winds. It flopped around for a bit before finally breaking free. It was soaked, and the extra weight of the water would definitely slow Starly down.

"Starly, fly up and try to shake off some of the water!" Michael said. Starly did so, flying up and flapping his wings to shake off the water. Unfortunately, it ended up spraying everyone in the Gym. Arianna sighed as she rung out her now soaked hair. Michael didn't stand a chance if Starly got knocked out. Tyrogue hadn't trained at all and Tepig was done. Michael seemed to have realized this too. When Starly had returned to his side, his feathers now ruffled but dry. Melody yawned and looked at Michael as though she were waiting for him to call a move. Gorebyss had risen out of the water to see what Starly would do.

"Michael, if you have to forfeit, it's fine! Don't let your Pokémon get hurt!" Arianna said. She was mostly talking about Starly, which was _her _Pokémon, but if he tried to use Tyrogue…

"I know! Just let me try one last thing. Starly, fly up one more time!" Michael said. Starly did as he was told and waited in the air for Michael's next command. "Now, flap your wings as hard as you can!" Michael said. Starly did so and created a huge gust of wind that blew Gorebyss back. She tried to hold her ground but she finally turned into a red beam of light and returned to her Pokeball. Another Pokémon came out in her place, this one much smaller. It was blue and looked like a tadpole.

"What's that?" Arianna asked herself, pointing her Pokedex at the Pokémon.

_Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokémon. The direction of its belly spiral differs by area. The equator is thought to have an effect on this._

"What was that move?" Melody asked.

"Whirlwind. It's the only move that I know that Starly might have been able to use besides Wing Attack and it would take too long to check," Michael said sheepishly.

"Of all the Pokémon to switch to… Well, we can still make this work. Poliwag… Bubble?" Melody said, sounding a bit unsure of this new Pokémon. Poliwag surfaced and spit out a few small bubbles that didn't even hit Starly. Melody looked franticly at the referee, who had not said a word since Melody had been explaining everything. "Can't I switch out? This Pokémon isn't ready to battle yet!" she said. The referee shook his head.

"You used a move, therefore you cannot switch out. League rules," he stated officially. Melody clenched her fists and looked back at the Poliwag that was splashing around playfully in the water.

"Fine. Poliwag, Hypnosis, and try to hit it this time, please," she said. Poliwag looked around and shot a weak beam at Starly. Starly fell to the platform next to Michael, asleep, but soon it was waking up.

"Okay… Starly, use Wing Attack!" Michael said. Starly flew at Poliwag and sliced it with his now glowing wings. Poliwag was thrown out of the water by the attack and it landed at Melody's feet, unable to battle any longer. Melody looked furious. Gone was the happy girl she had been when Gorebyss was battling. She took out said Pokémon's Pokeball and let the South Sea Pokémon back out.

"You may have gotten lucky, but we're not going down that easily. Now, Clamp and drag it under!" Melody said.

"Fly up and use Whirlwind!" Michael countered. Starly did so, narrowly avoiding Gorebyss' attack. Melody would have none of it.

"Oh no you don't, not again. Use Confusion!" she said. Gorebyss became outlined in red and the wind coming at her was quickly dispersed. Michael would have to use a different strategy this time.

"Michael, have him use Quick Attack!" Arianna said. Michael nodded.

"You heard her Starly, Quick attack!" he said. Starly flew forward at amazing speeds and rammed into Gorebyss. The pink Water type fell to the ground and did not get back up. Michael looked at it questioningly before Melody returned it.

"I see, she focuses so much on offense that when it's attacked, it can't take it. And she's a Gym leader?" Arianna asked herself.

"That's it, I refuse to finish this! You're not even doing it right!" Melody said.

"Does that mean you forfeit?" Michael asked.

"No! I mean, you're cheating! You made my Poliwag come out when I never even meant to use it. You cheated and I don't battle cheaters. This battle is over," Melody said.

"But-!" Michael started but Melody would hear none of it.

"Over," she said.

"Alright…" Michael said, returning Starly. He walked over to where his sister sat in the bleachers.

"You can come back and get the Gym badge another day. You'll be stronger then and she won't stand a chance!" Arianna said. Michael just shrugged.

"Who'd want to battle her anyway? She'll just freak out if I beat her again. I may as well give up," he said as the two of them walked outside. They were almost to the ferry when someone stopped them.

"Wait! You forgot something!" they said. Arianna and Michael turned around to see the referee from the Gym running towards them. He had something shiny in his hand.

"What did we forget?" Michael asked. The referee stopped and handed him a small metal badge. It was a silver circle, with a series of blue circles painted on it. Michael looked at it then asked, "I didn't win the battle. Why are you giving me this?"

"Melody didn't want to battle a cheater. You broke no rules. Gym leaders are only allowed to bring Pokémon they're prepared to battle with to their battles for instances like this. Therefore, she forfeit and you won. Melody has always been a sore loser when it comes to new trainers. If anyone beats Gorebyss she freaks out. That's why I'm in charge of the badges," the referee explained.

"Oh, I see. Well why doesn't she get replaced?" Michael asked.

"It's a long story that would best be saved for another day. Now I have to get going. Good luck on the rest of your journey!" the referee said, heading back to the Gym. Michael shrugged.

"A badge is a badge and now I have one!" he said putting said badge in his case. Arianna smiled but realized that now she probably would never get to battle Melody. Oh well, she wouldn't want to battle just to have her forfeit in the middle of it. Plus when she brought out Starly, Melody would probably refuse to battle her right then and there. Maybe it was for the best.

"Hey Michael, why don't we wait a while before I challenge the Gym. I don't think Melody wants to see either of us right now," Arianna said with a slight laugh. Michael agreed and they boarded the ferry that would take them back to the main part of town.

**Author Notes: In the middle of writing this, I realized how weak Michael's Pokémon really were and I didn't want to make him seem invincible so this was how it turned out. Don't worry, we'll be hearing more from Melody some day in the future. Far, far in the future. Until then, don't forget to review! I would really appreciate it. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"So what are you going to do now that you can't challenge the Gym Arianna?" Michael asked as their ferry docked. Arianna already had he answer.

"Train, of course! I need to be ready for the next Gym, don't I? I suggest that you do the same," she said. Michael agreed and the two of them found a park where they could train their Pokémon. Oshawott would be staying in her Pokeball when they weren't training.

Everything went well for the siblings for the most part. Oshawott only soaked a few people in the course of two hours. Tepig managed to control his Ember attack and Tyrogue worked on raising his attack and defense for battle.

"We're going to rock at our next Gym battle, aren't we Tyrogue?" Michael asked his newest Pokémon. The Fighting type replied with a cheerful cry.

"Don't forget that you still need three Pokémon for a Gym battle. It would be a good idea to catch a third Pokémon," Arianna reminded her brother. This made her remember that she herself needed to catch a third Pokémon. She would find one, eventually.

"I know, I'm just waiting for the right one!" Michael said. Arianna had to agree. No sense in catching a Pokémon that you didn't want. It wouldn't be fair to the Pokémon.

"Well good luck with that," Arianna said. She then yawned and checked her Poketch. It was 3:00 in the afternoon. She yawned again and said to her brother, "Michael, maybe we should call it a day. We've been training for a few hours."

"What? But we just got started! I'm not even…" Michael started to say, but he yawned mid-sentence.

"Tired?" Arianna asked. Michael shook his head.

"No way. I could go on for… for…" he began but he trailed off. Arianna watched as his eyes slowly closed before her own did the same. Soon, Arianna was stuck in a dream-filled sleep.

In her dream, a Pokémon was floating in front of her, but she did not know what it was. Its body was blue and yellow and its head looked like two yellow crescents. It had pink wings that looked like they were made out of light. Around it was a pink aurora. A warm feeling came over Arianna as she watched the Pokémon. She tried to reach for her Pokedex to see what it was, but she could not move. The Pokémon let out a gentle cry and soon the entire dream faded to black. Arianna's eyes opened and she found that she was on the ground, as were several other people, including Michael. He lay curled up in a ball, shivering. Arianna tried to wake him up, but no matter how hard she tried, he would not wake up. After what seemed like hours, Michael's eyes shot open and he looked around.

"Michael, are you okay?" Arianna asked.

"I think so. I just had the worst dream ever. It was dark and there was this shadow. It was watching me and then it got all cold. It felt so real and then I tried to wake up but I couldn't," Michael explained.

"I had a dream too, but it was almost the exact opposite of yours. In mine there was a yellow and blue Pokémon with pink wings. There was a pink aurora and everything felt warm and good. I wonder why our dreams were so different," Arianna said. She looked around to see Oshawott on the ground, still asleep, but smiling. Arianna returned the Water type to her Pokeball and stood up. Her brother returned his Pokémon and did the same. The two siblings walked around the park, noting that everyone else seemed to still be asleep. It was definitely odd, but what could cause something like this?

As suddenly as they had fallen asleep, people started waking up. They too noticed how odd it was that they had just dropped everything they were doing to take a nap. It was all very strange, but dwelling on it would not solve it. When the ferries started up again, Arianna and Michael found the one that would take them to the Pokémon Center. Upon their arrival, the siblings found a room for the night and left their Pokémon with Nurse Joy. They went up to their room and Arianna checked the time.

"6:00! We were asleep for three hours! How is that even possible?" she asked. Michael poked his head through the door.

"Three hours? You're kidding, right?" he asked.

"No! Look," Arianna said, pointing to the clock on the wall. It read 6:00.

"Whoa, you're not kidding. How could we have been asleep for three hours? It felt like minutes…" Michael said. Arianna nodded but said nothing. It was silent for a moment. Arianna jumped when there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, Nurse Joy was standing with four Pokeballs on a tray.

"Your Pokémon are all rested and in perfect health. Here you go!" she said cheerfully, handing the Pokeballs to Arianna. She took them, thanked the nurse and shut the door.

"Can I have my Pokémon back now?" Michael asked. Arianna tossed his two Pokeballs at her brother and walked to the window, oblivious to the thump of one of the little capsules hitting her brother's head and the pop of a Pokémon being released. Soon, there was a little Tyrogue running around the room.

"Michael, put your Pokémon away before it breaks something," Arianna said.

"It's your fault it got out! Now help me catch it," Michael said. Arianna rolled her eyes and looked at her brother.

"So it's my fault you can't catch?" she asked. Michael did what a mature person would do: he stuck out his tongue.

Twenty minutes, several frightened people and one broken lamp later, Tyrogue was finally back in his Pokeball. Michael apologized to Nurse Joy for the lamp and went back to his room. Arianna apologized for her brother being an irresponsible little kid and followed him.

"Well, now I'm ready to fall asleep of my own will," Michael said, jumping onto his bed. Arianna shook her head but agreed that she was tired too. Despite the three hour nap earlier, she felt like she hadn't slept since she left home. After her hour long shower and another hour just getting ready for bed, Arianna returned to the bedroom to find Michael asleep. She grinned and climbed into her own bed. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

No dreams greeted her this time, but morning could not have come soon enough. Michael was ready to hit the road, but Arianna reminded him of the agreement they had made back in Allandais Town.

"You said that we could go watch my Contest. Now we are going to go watch my Contest. And why are you still in your pajamas?" Arianna asked. Michael shrugged and his sister went to get breakfast, promising that if he wasn't ready when she came back that she would set Oshawott and Starly loose on him.

When she got back Michael was bounding down the stairs, hair a wet mess and one shoe untied. He hopped over to Arianna, trying to tie said shoe, and promptly fell over.

"You waited until the last minute?" Arianna asked.

"Yep," Michael replied. The two of them made their way to the Contest Hall where they took their seats and waited for the Contest to begin.

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><p><strong>Author Notes: I think I finally got all the issues with this chapter worked out. If not, that's what a PM is for, right? Reviews are welcome and encouraged. :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Hello, and welcome to the Senica City Pokémon Contest!" the announcer said, earning a good amount of applause from the audience. Arianna was loving every minute of the Contest, and it hadn't even started yet.

"How long is this going to take?" Michael asked.

"Be quiet! It's about to start!" Arianna said. Sure enough, a coordinator was just stepping out on stage. She wore a frilly turquoise dress and had long brown hair. She tossed her Pokeball in the air and a small green Pokémon with two red flowers on its head came out.

"Use Sunny Day, then Magical Leaf, Bellossom!" the coordinator said. The flowers on Bellossom's head started glowing and a harsh light shone from the ceiling. Then Bellossom spun around and several glowing leaves appeared around it, swirling around. The sunlight reflected off of the leaves, creating a shimmering whirlwind around Bellossom. Then the coordinator called her next move.

"Use Cut!" she said. Bellossom obeyed and slashed through the leaves with a glowing arm, turning them into a sparkling dust that rained down over the stage, the sunlight reflecting off of it. The audience cheered as Bellossom was returned to its Pokeball. The coordinator bowed and walked off the stage.

"Okay, that was impressive, but can we go now? We've seen a performance, now I want to leave," Michael said. Arianna shook her head.

"No way, I want to see more of this," she said. In her mind, she had made a decision. This was what she would do. It would be perfect. Her Oshawott wanted to be an actress, so she could be. Starly already had some fancy flying skills that would work perfectly here. It was like it was meant to be.

"Come on sis, this is boring! Just watching these people show off their Pokémon isn't entertaining in the least," Michael complained. Arianna pretended not to hear him and kept watching. Several more coordinators performed their appeals before one in particular walked out onto the stage. She had dark hair and wore an orange dress. Selena.

"Come on out, Misdreavus!" she said, sending out the Ghost type in a flurry of purple hearts. Misdreavus floated in front of Selena and awaited her command. "Psywave!" Selena said. Misdreavus started emitting several waves of energy in different colors. The area around it started to become distorted and it swirled around. It looked cool, but it didn't really show off Misdreavus like it could have. The judges seemed to have noticed this, as they did not look too impressed.

"Ominous Wind!" Selena called next. A purple wind swirled around Misdreavus, forming what almost looked like a ring of purple fire that was moving clockwise. "Will-O-Wisp!" Selena said. Misdreavus let lose little blue flames that spun around it in a counter clockwise direction. Honestly, Arianna thought it was a bit much for such a small Pokémon. Misdreavus was being overshadowed by the intricate effects. Selena did not seem to see it this way as she called her final attack. "Psywave, one more time!" she said. Misdreavus began emitting the rainbow colored waves again and the purple and blue fire formed a sphere around it. Then, the sphere exploded, much like a firework, and sent tiny purple embers raining down. Selena bowed and returned her Pokémon before walking off stage. Arianna clapped along with the rest of the audience. Selena, as it turned out, was the last contestant to perform their appeal. The judges took a moment to decide on the coordinators that would be proceeding on to the next round.

After a few minutes, the judges posted the pictures of ten coordinators that would be going on to the next round. To Arianna's delight, Selena was not among them. If they were going to be competing against each other, at least Arianna wouldn't have to worry about catching up.

"Okay, we saw the appeal round, can we go now?" Michael asked.

"Just one battle. It can't be that long," Arianna said as the remaining coordinators were paired up for the next round's battles. The clock was set for five minutes and the first two coordinators stepped on stage. When the clock started, one sent out a Vulpix and one sent out a Litwick. Arianna watched as the two Pokémon battled, showing off their own moves rather than trying to defeat each other. Each coordinator's points fell when their opponent pulled off a better move. The Vulpix had the overall advantage though, as Litwick's Fire type moves could do no damage. At the end of five minutes, the Vulpix's points were higher and that coordinator was declared the winner.

"Can we go now?" Michael asked. Arianna nodded and reluctantly left with her brother. When they exited the contest hall, Michael insisted that they get going so they could get to the next town.

"Do you know the name of said town?" Arianna asked. Michael shook his head. "Well there are two. We can go to Rishan City, which is east of here, or we can go to Ethoria Town which is west. Take your pick," Arianna explained.

"Well which one has a Gym in it?" Michael asked.

"Both. But I must tell you that Ethoria is a dead end, so we would have to come back here to get to Rishan," Arianna said. Michael thought for a moment.

"Rishan. We can just keep going form there and then we can come back to Ethoria later," he said once he had made his decision.

"Okay, Rishan it is," Arianna said, steering her brother towards the walkway that led out of town.

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><p><strong>Author Notes: Wow, I really need to update sooner... Well, I'll be posting Chapter Nine right after this as my apology. :) Hope you liked it! Remember to review!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The Rishan Forest was the biggest Arianna had ever seen. It was full of different Pokémon. Michael was determined to catch his third Pokémon here. As far as Arianna could tell, it was mostly Bug types; Pokémon like Weedle and Wurmple. Nonetheless, Michael wanted to catch one.

"I need a third Pokémon and this looks like a great place to find one. Now help me look," he said. Arianna wasn't so sure about that. The forest gave off a strange vibe, like something was going on but she didn't know what.

"Michael, why don't we just try and get through this huge forest and if we find anything, you can catch it. Okay?" Arianna asked. Michael looked disappointed but he did not protest. He had learned not to.

If it was possible, the forest was getting even darker. When Arianna checked her Pokétch, she saw that it was just going on noon, so it should be fairly bright out. Strange.

A few minutes later, Arianna decided that something wasn't right. It was nearly pitch black and she could barely see where she was going.

"Michael, where are you?" she asked. There was a thump from a few feet away before he replied.

"By the invisible tree. Ow…" Michael said. When Arianna found him, it was impossible to see anything. It was completely silent, but it was an eerie silence.

"Wait, Michael, I think I hear something. Be quiet," Arianna said moments later. Sure enough, a faint humming sound was emanating from deeper in the forest.

"What is that?" Michael asked.

"I don't know, but I want to find out," Arianna said, grabbing Michael's wrist and pulling him towards the sound.

"Where are all the Pokémon at?" Michael asked as they walked. Arianna looked around and found that her brother was right. This was getting stranger and stranger.

"Would you quit that?" Michael said irritably a few minutes later. Arianna tightened her grip on his wrist.

"No, I'm not losing you in this huge forest," she said.

"No, quit breathing down my neck. It's bugging me," Michael said.

"I'm no where near your neck," Arianna replied. Michael wrenched his wrist free and from the sound of it, hit a Pokémon behind him.

"Mur-Murkrow!" it said. Michael jumped backwards and hit another tree. This kid had issues with trees.

"Wait, was that a Murkrow?" Arianna asked. It made sense. Murkrow could create a haze that completely blacks out entire cities.

"How should I know? I can't see a thing," Michael said. Arianna squinted to attempt to see through the thick, dark fog.

All of a sudden, a huge gust of wind blew through the forest. The fog was cleared almost instantly and a silver bird stood in the forest, accompanied by a boy, maybe a little older than Arianna, with black hair and bored blue eyes. He had a silver T-shirt on and blue jeans.

"Well, that takes care of the 'fog.' Now who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Arianna and this is my brother Michael," Arianna said. The boy grinned.

"I'm Grayson, Rishan City Gym leader and resident Steel type master. So what's a pretty girl like you doing in this part of the forest?" he asked. Arianna rolled her eyes. This guy might as well have had "Player" written across his forehead. Michael had other ideas.

"No way! You're the Gym leader? I'm Michael, and I'm on a journey to defeat all the Gym leaders in Seraphi so that I can win the Seraphi League!" he said. Grayson chuckled.

"That so, huh? Well, I would love to help you with that, but something's going on in the forest, if you hadn't noticed, and I need to take care of it," he said.

"Well we could help with that," Arianna said. Grayson looked her over for a few moments before responding.

"Coordinator?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I haven't entered any contests yet, but I'm working on it," she said. Grayson nodded.

"Okay, come on," he finally said. I looked at Michael before we followed Grayson deeper into the forest.


	10. Chapter 10

**Yeah, I'm really sorry that it's taking me so long to update this, but I recently got a review from one of my most admired writers and the one who happed to be my inspiration for this story, so I felt obliged to update. **

**I've been forgetting to put this in, so here it is.**

**I do not own Pokemon, otherwise Paul would have been in the games instead of Barry. :P**

* * *

><p>Chapter Ten<p>

"So, Gym Leader, huh?" Arianna asked as the group continued through the forest. "It explains the huge ego and the attitude," she added before he could get the impression that she was actually impressed.

"And I can tell you're a coordinator by how you do everything with this weird flare to it and you want everything to look 'pretty.' It's a little annoying," Grayson said, smirking.

"Yeah well at least I'm not—" Before Arianna could finish, Michael cut her off.

"Would you two cut it out? I'm getting a headache," he complained.

"She started it," Grayson pointed out.

"Well you could have been mature about it and let it go. That's another thing about you, you're completely immature," Arianna said indignantly.

"Oh, I'm the immature one? You're the one who was lost! You're lucky I found you or you'd still be stuck! And not once did I hear a 'Thank you Grayson.' Talk about immature…"

"Only an immature person would point that out."

"Well only an even more immature person would say that."

"So you admit you're immature?"

"Even if I am, you're worse." Michael was watching the two like a tennis match.

"Guys, can we keep going? You're both equally immature, now we need to get out of this forest!" he said.

"Oh don't even get me started on you Michael—"

"Arianna!"

"Oh fine. Let's go," Arianna said. The humming sound from before was getting even louder.

The group soon came across a clearing where an odd machine sat. Several monitors were set up around it and there were some strange devices that almost looked like tesla coils. Except instead of emitting electricity, they were giving off sound waves.

"What is that?" Michael asked quietly.

"I have no clue but it does explain a lot…" Grayson said.

"I don't care if we've been out here for hours on end. I don't care if you're tired. I don't care if you're not being paid enough. Get back to work, now!" someone said from the other side of the clearing.

"Who was that?" Arianna asked. A guy, maybe in his early twenties, walked out from behind the machine. He had dark blue hair and he wore a suit in the same color. He was rolling a Pokéball between his fingers like he was bored.

Several people in odd uniforms were bustling about the clearing, messing with the machinery. The guy in the suit was watching them all, an almost amused look on his face.

"Is this what you were in the forest for?" Arianna asked. Grayson nodded, craning his neck to get a better look at something in the clearing.

"Then we should do something!" Michael whispered. Grayson shook his head.

"These people are real criminals. You guys would never stand a chance. This isn't some childish TV show where a ten year-old can take down an entire evil syndicate. This is reality," he said, never taking his eyes off of that odd machine.

"We can't just let you go by yourself!" Arianna said. Grayson rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't planning on it. I'm not an idiot Arianna," he said.

"So you came all the way out here to find them, just to hang back in the shadows while they do who knows what? I knew you were annoying, but I didn't think you were a coward too," Arianna said. Grayson was taken aback by her comment, but the shock wore off soon enough.

"Arianna, these people are not just going to be content with a battle. They'll want to make sure you don't go off and tell everyone what they're doing. It's not a matter of being brave or not, it's a matter of knowing what you're going up against," he said.

Arianna wouldn't listen. As soon as Grayson ended his little speech, she jumped to her feet and was soon running into the clearing, Oshawott's Pokéball in hand.

"Arianna, don't!" Michael said, scrambling to his feet to go after his sister.

"Damn kids…" Grayson said before standing up and following the siblings at a rather leisurely pace.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I like this chapter. I feel like it shows the real difference between the Pokemon fantasy of the games and reality. Which is ironic because Pokemon are fictional creatures. : It's a bit shorter than I hoped for, but I couldn't find out how to make it longer without seeming ranty. :/ I love that smiley. :/**

**Yeah, that's about it for this chapter. I'm working on the next as you read this (maybe...)**

**~xPinkSunshinex**


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